In a case that pitted free speech against LGBT rights, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Christian web designer who declined to create websites for same-sex weddings. The decision was made with a 6-3 vote.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority has ruled in favor of a Colorado-based evangelical Christian graphic artist who refused to design wedding websites for same-sex couples, a decision that comes in spite of the state’s anti-discrimination law. The ruling was divided along ideological lines, with a 6 to 3 vote, and the court’s liberal justices dissenting.
You do not have to bake the cake: In a 6-3 vote, SCOTUS rules in 303 Creative case that government cannot force private businesses or individuals to violate their religious beliefs by providing products services their faiths consider to be sinful. https://t.co/HDbK2NUIYa pic.twitter.com/MCLIrsdWCw
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) June 30, 2023
This case, known as 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, represents the Supreme Court’s most recent exploration of the tension between laws mandating equal treatment for the LGBTQ community and individuals who cite their religious beliefs as grounds to view same-sex marriages as “false.”
The graphic artist at the center of the case argued that her religious beliefs led her to regard same-sex marriages as “false,” and thus she did not want to create wedding websites for same-sex couples. The ruling in her favor by the Supreme Court’s conservative majority marks a significant moment in the ongoing legal and cultural debates surrounding religious freedom and LGBTQ rights.
